Curse of the Shadow Bender
by Seriously Yours
Summary: Who is the Fire Lord's first wife? Who is Zuko's mother? The name is not documented in the history of the Fire Nation, it is not written in any book in the Land of the Avatar, but everyone wonders who it was.


**The Curse of the Shadow Bender**

**Fire Nation**

Zula's brisk strides carried her to her father's chamber, two helmed soldiers barred her way, "Allow me access!" she demanded "I seek an audience with the Fire Lord."

The fire benders saluted her smartly and stepped aside and Zula entered. Bowing low she waited till her father faced her.

"What is it daughter?" Fire lord Ozai drawled.

" Forgive my impertinence father but I wish to know who will ascend to the throne once you have stepped aside."

"Why the haste Zula? I assure you I will be around a little while longer."

"Of course my Lord, I merely wondered now that Zuko is gone…"

"Zuko? Zuko? Do you dare speak his name in my presence?" Ozai thundered.

Unafraid, Zula questioned, "As senseless as my brother is; I believe there is another reason why you've banished him. Would you like to tell me father?"

Ozai took one threatening step towards her, "Stop your impertinence at once! Or would you rather share your brother's exile?"

Recognizing that a possible fiery death was just one breath away, Zula hastened to back out of the room.

As the door closed behind her, in an uncharacteristic show of weakness Ozai dropped his face into his hands and sighed. "Why do I hate Zuko?" He muttered to the silence. "Because I cannot bear to see his face… He reminds me of her" shuddering uncontrollably, the greatest fire bender the world has ever known, threw up.

**South Pole**

Turning away from the railing, Zuko noted with satisfaction, that his usually calm and collected uncle seemed agitated.

"What's the matter Uncle Iroh?" he questioned carelessly, knowing fully well that what ever the matter was couldn't affect his decision.

"Remind me again young Prince why we're heading back to that blasted water bender village?" Iroh snapped.

Zuko raised his unburnt eyebrow in surprise; the last time his uncle swore was when Zula poisoned his Ginseng tea. Instead of killing him however, Iroh was constipated for a week.

"I've lost the avatar's trail, but we know that they're heading towards the Northern water citadel. You know uncle as well as I, that only a water savage can steer us through the ice burgs in the Bascilian Sea. So I'm simply heading to the village to recruit a guide."

"Zuko…"sighed Iroh massaging his temple. "For Avatar's sake don't do this. It's… It's DANGEROUS."

"Ha!" Zuko laughed. "Good one Uncle! AS IF. There are only women and children left. What are they going to do? Throw snow balls at me?"

_Not women, just One woman. _Iroh pursed his lips, maybe it was time for the Prince to know. He was old enough to understand. After all he turned seventeen two days ago.

"Zuko" Iroh commanded, sounding unusually grave, "Come downstairs, we need to talk."

_Whatever!_ Thought Zuko, following his teacher down the steps not the least bit worried, _maybe he has lost his Bonus tile this time._

_**Half and hour later:**_

Iroh surveyed the damage lazily; he had wisely taken the prince to Zuko's own bedroom. _After all can't have the little git burning my stock of tea._

In the far corner a meditation rug lay smouldering, the walls were blackened with soot and the floor was littered with embers and coal.

"Noooooooooooooo" wailed Zuko striding up and down the length of his burnt up room. " You're telling me, that… that…NO I DON'T believe it. It's all a trick. My father planned this didn't he? He scarred me, he dishonoured me, and he banished me; now he wants to drive me _Insane._"

"Calm down dear nephew. I'm afraid it's the truth."

"So…So…She was … She _is …_" Zuko blubbered incoherently.

"Yes She is."

The Fire prince stared at his mentor in total defeat, then his disciplined warrior instincts kicked in and he straightened his shoulders and took a few calming breaths.

"Let me work this out." He whispered desperately searching for a loop hole in the story. "Eighteen years ago my father met a beautiful woman."

"Yes beautiful she was, with golden eyes."

"My father married her and made her queen of the Fire Nation?"

"Yes."

"She gave birth to me a year later but she did NOT die in child birth as I was told."

"That is the truth."

"Then one day my father found out that she wasn't a… a… wasn't a young woman at all; that she was a shadow bender, a sorceress who used her powers to disguise herself."

"No, not young, not beautiful. She reminded me of a wrinkled prune." Iroh nodded savagely.

"My mother was a wrinkled prune?"

"Well not _your _mother but THAT woman, who produced you, er… that makes her your mother doesn't it? Ew!" Iroh shuddered as a picture of her passed in front of his mind.

Zuko let loose another burst of fire and turned his bed spread to ash, just to show that his Uncle's remark did not help his plight. Iroh didn't even bother to flinch as he was still whimpering from the thought of seeing _her_ again.

"She's ugly, so what?" asked Zuko bravely, "She can't be worse than _Ozai _right?"

---Silence---

"Right?" Zuko repeated in a clearly begging tone.

"I'm sorry Zuko, but she's the worst female you'd ever have the misfortune to meet."

"I need some fresh air. I'm going upstairs," Zuko, declared his fists balled in fury and…fear.

"Good idea my Prince tell the captain to turn around while you're up there. I want to get out while I still can."

"I didn't decide if I want to leave yet." Barked Zuko. "Did it ever occur to you that I may _want _to see my mo….the women who gave birth to me?"

"But… But…" spluttered Iroh.

"Sir would you come on to the deck?" said a soldier saluting the Prince.

"WHAT?" yelled Zuko stomping up the stairs, now breathing fire. The poor guard dived out of the way.

Not a minute later Iroh heard Zuko calling, more like shrieking, "Uncle you better come see this!"

Iroh went upstairs and to his horror, he saw the worst sight any man could see.

Zuko turned around just as he heard a splash. "Uncle?" he called his voice breaking.

"Uncle, who _is_ this woman," said Zuko looking very confused and angry but he received no reply.

To his utmost surprise and abject horror, he saw his uncle swimming away as fast as his short arms and fat belly would allow him.

Just as Zuko was about to call his uncle the ugly woman came up to the railing and shouted "Yoo hoo, Iroh! I'm here baby!"

Zuko saw Iroh turn around and even though he was quite a distance away, clearly saw his eyes bug out. Then the woman suddenly had her shrivelled up hand on Zuko's armoured shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"Zuko I have to tell you something"

"What is it woman?" Zuko sneered backing away. He readied himself for an attack, as she had to be a powerful shadow bender to make the retired hero of the fire nation run away like a three-year-old coward.

"Zuko--- I'm--- your--- mother!"

Zuko's eyes popped out. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Well in simple words, the ugliest woman in the world was his MOTHER! To describe her is a disgrace to the human race. She had wrinkled skin everywhere you looked, she was blind yet could see (if it made any sense), she had no teeth yet she could talk (no sense) and she DID NOT have golden eyes but dull grey ones (if you could call them eyes that is).

He remembered something Iroh had told him during their conversation before. "If you see that shrivelled prune, run or swim or what ever, if you are cornered; KILL yourself immediately, you _do not_ want to be alone with her!" He quickly followed his teacher's advice and jumped overboard.

----

_**Southern Air Temple**_

Aang ,Katara and Sokka had met with some air benders in this temple. The monks had a very strange story. When Aang asked them if they knew anything about Monk Gyatsu the monks were very fidgety and refused to meet their eyes.

When Aang said that he knew that fire benders had killed him, the monks showed signs that it was not the full story. When Aang used air bending to scare them they used air bending to defend themselves. Finally when Aang was at a loss, Sokka just asked them what happened and the story began.

_It all started when the monks were on their meditating season. On the third day of meditation a penguin came flying out of nowhere and hit monk Gyatsu. There was a message attached and after he read it, he suddenly jumped on a Bison and flew away. A month later, an air bender came to our temple saying that a shrivelled prune had come to the northern air temple wearing a fire bender mask. She had crept into all the monks' tents and everyone had died from pure shock. It seemed as if they had used air bending to kill themselves. The messenger had found the letter which monk Gyatsu had received, it read_

"**Yo, Monk Gyatsu. Miss you babe. Do you miss me? I'll be there to see you in the temple soon. You can't escape me this time I have means to get up there.**

**Kiss Kiss **

_GRAN GRAN._

Katara and Sokka promptly fainted. All Aang could do was stare at the other monks who had looks of fear and disgust on their faces.

----

_**Fire Nation  
**_

**Iroh **came upon the guards who blocked the entrance to the Fire Lord's chamber.

"Let me in, I have important news" the guards nodded and stepped aside.

"Ah brother, I see that you have returned. Did you capture the avatar?"Even though his voice was strong, Ozai was looking slightly sick.

"No, my Lord and brother, prince Zuko and I came upon a rather disturbing sight"

"The avatar, dead?"

"No my lord, it's –it's her. She Took over our ship"

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" the fire lord breathed fire while vomiting at the same time, which resulted in roasted, vomit hitting the floor.

"She is heading this way"

"Quickly hide me, hide me, hide me, I don't want to see that woman, I don't want her to see me. I have heard stories, of great people dying, the monks at the northern air temple (all dead), the king of omashu (it is said he is permanently scarred), all the men in the south pole water tribes (it is said they ran to the earth kingdom) and finally me!"

It was Iroh's time to speak "I left her with Zuko I think she will be sufficiently distracted at the sight of her son."

Just as he finished saying this, they heard a scream and an alarm went off.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Get her away from me!" Zuko's aristocratic voice was clearly distinguishable.

A guard entered shouting "The Banished Prince and the Shadow bender woman have broken into the fire kingdom, my Lord. Do we have permission to arrest them?"

Iroh and Ozai jumped behind the throne while the guard stood stunned, wondering why the bravest of Firebenders were busy wiping snot and tears off their faces.

"Oooh Ozai! How are you darling?" The guard looked at the scrawny dried-up woman who had arrived and just fell to the ground laughing not even trying to cover it up. Suddenly the old hag's eyes fell on him.

" Hi there handsome." She purred.

Suddenly the guard's mind went blank all he could think was that the woman standing in front of him was the most beautiful lady he ever laid eyes on, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He did not understand what was happening to him, as he was a happily married father of three.

However, the two people hidden behind the throne, knew exactly what it was that hit him.

It was…

**The…**

**Curse…**

**Of…**

**The…**

**Gran…**

**Gran.**

----

_**Omashu**_

"… My King, she has attacked the fire kingdom," the guard confirmed.

"Poor Ozai" was all that was said in return from the crazy Boomi, King of Omashu.

_**Fin.**_

**_Await out next greatest story, which will be in fan fiction very soon. (Check profile: Seriously Yours)_**

_Why you shouldn't sniff Iroh's stuff. (Humour/ General)_

_Iroh had been acting strangely ever since he had snuck back something into his room. Zuko want's to find the reason for his uncles strange behaviour. Aang, Katara and Sokka meet up with the prince, when he catches them while they are resting and some strange dialogue results. Rated T for reference to Drugs and other stuff. Not for Kids._


End file.
